Because natural isn't always possible — or easy.
Posted in Emotional development, parenting, School and education on Apr 22nd, 2011
Last year Big Girl was at a private school. There was a girl. At the time I called her That Girl. She had a lot of problems, or so I was told. All I knew was that she was bossy and mean to my kid. She made her cry. She’d come off the bus, my [...]
Posted in School and education on Oct 18th, 2010
I became Stalker Mommy today, taking the long way home from picking up Little Girl from school so I could pass by Big Girl’s school. I knew it was recess time, and I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of her playing outside. (Like you’ve never done the same — or wished [...]
Posted in Emotional development, parenting on Oct 8th, 2010
The news is filled with stories of bullied kids committing suicide. Just this morning I read a story about an Ohio school that buried four kids who killed themselves after being mercilessly taunted for being gay, foreign, or just plain different. The most chilling part? When the reporter explained how some of those bullies had [...]
Posted in Education, Food, Health, parenting on Sep 29th, 2010
I recently had the occasion to work with a large group of 6- and 7-year-olds. We were working on a craft. One of the little girls wanted to tell me a story. I will paraphrase it below: “You know how some kids get left back? Well, there’s this big, fat, smelly, stupid kid. His name [...]
Posted in parenting, School and education on Sep 7th, 2010
My husband, who read my last blog post, asked me to take it down. His words: “She hasn’t been in school a day and you have passed judgment on it, her classmates, and the families and values of every person who sends their children to public school. The only person who sounds like a stuck [...]
Posted in Education, Emotional development, parenting, School and education on Sep 7th, 2010
Today at 9:18 a.m. I got into my car and cried. I had just dropped Big Girl off at the big, scary public school. Today I picked her up at 3:15. I want to cry again. Our conversation: Me: How was school? Big Girl (BG): It was good. Some things were the same, some were [...]
Posted in Consumer Packaged Goods, Eating Healthy, Food, Friendship, parenting, School and education on Apr 27th, 2010
Last Wednesday night my daughter’s school held a gala. I bid for and won several gift certificates in the silent auction. I went to the school yesterday to settle up and bring home my gifts. (Free pizzas, a baby class certificate, a free adult dance class.) I got there during lunch, so the woman who [...]
Posted in Emotional development, parenting, School and education on Apr 15th, 2010
Which Breakfast Club character were you in high school? (Yes, I know I am borrowing from a Facebook application.) I was Allison. The loner. The weirdo. The quiet, scared one. Now I’m more of an Andrew — love my Spin classes — but back then, yes, I was an Allison. I got treated like one, [...]
Posted in Emotional development, Friendship, School and education on Nov 7th, 2009
The phone rang yesterday evening. It was one of Big Girl’s classmates’ moms. One of the five or so I called on Election Day when my mom, my sitter, called in sick, and I was looking to do a playdate. We chatted. She apologized for not calling sooner. We talked about a bat bake sale [...]